Shangri-La Opens in Toronto

Shangri-La has opened an hotel in Toronto, Canada.

The Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto is located on Canada's grand ceremonial boulevard, University Avenue, in the heart of its largest city, Toronto, Ontario.

"Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is proud to welcome guests to the newest member of the group's growing global portfolio and second hotel in North America. Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto brings our signature hospitality from the heart to the fast developing downtown core of this cosmopolitan city, welcoming both Toronto residents and travellers from around the world," said Greg Dogan, president and CEO of Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd.

Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto resides within the first 17 floors of a new 66-storey landmark tower.

The 202-room hotel is within a five-block radius of the performance centre for Canada's opera and ballet companies, the headquarters for the country's five major banks, consulates, leading research hospitals, sports venues, the city's live theatre district and the Toronto International Film Festival headquarters.

At the University entrance, a hand-hewn stainless steel sculpture, 'Rising,' by one of China's most influential contemporary artists Zhang Huan, reaches from the street up the glass tower and into the hotel's two-storey lobby.

Like the exterior, the hotel's interior is a destination where art and architecture are emphasized. Entering the street-level lobby, guests find themselves in the 90-seat Lobby Lounge where natural light streams through two-storey windows highlighting birds from 'Rising.' The lounge features four large-scale Chinese calligraphy paintings that depict women from the famed Peking Opera, an Italian handcrafted, light-oak Fazioli piano with the words to My Old Man by Canadian artist Joni Mitchell carved into its lid, and contemporary furniture in dove-grey leather.

In the Lobby Lounge, guests can choose from an all-day menu inspired by Southeast Asian food vendors, a tea selection of 68 hand-picked teas from around the world, and a five-volume menu of aperitifs and cocktails, wines and beers, scotch, spirits, and fortified wines.

By design, guests move easily through the lobby to The Bar, an intimate 30-seat destination that fronts Bosk, the hotel's signature restaurant which brings to life a globally-inspired menu with distinct Asian-influences. Hanging above The Bar are 180 hand-blown glass fixtures in varying shades of green. To the right, an oak wall carves out the name, Bosk and its definition, a small wooded area. Inside, an 80-seat restaurant includes a private dining enclave for up to 30, plus a seasonal outdoor terrace which wraps around the corner of the building.

Beyond the hotel lobby are 202 guestrooms and suites, ranging in size from 45 to 205 square metres (490 to 2,200 square feet).

Bedrooms have been designed with a custom, pillow-top mattress, black-out curtains, and fabrics in soft, soothing champagne tones. Oversized bathrooms in a black-veined white marble, average 14 square metres (150 square feet). The walk-in shower, with rain shower head, stands apart from a jet tub. Bathroom mirrors, embedded with LCD televisions, are framed above a marble-topped vanity reminiscent of an Asian table.

Each room features an entertainment centre with a 47-inch flat-screen LED television and iPad for in-room use, featuring ICE technology that puts the hotel, literally, in the guest's hands to access in-room dining, housekeeping, bell service and 24-hour concierge.

Nine guest rooms feature private, appointed outdoor terraces and one quarter of the guest accommodation is devoted to generous suites, among the largest available in Toronto's downtown core.

Included in the 49 suites are five specialty suites ranging from 59 square metres (630 square feet) to the premier Owner's Suite at 102 square metres (1,100 square feet) and Shangri-La Suite at 205 square metres (2,200 square feet). The Owner's Suite is dark and dramatic with a wood paneled, library-like entrance while the Shangri-La Suite is open and airy, making use of Japanese lattice screens, oak wood molding and pewter marble. The Shangri-La Suite also offers a pantry with private butler's entrance.

Located on level five is the 828 square metre (9,000 square feet) health club. It has a private enclosed studio and an open concept room, framed with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer natural light and city views, including a glimpse of Toronto's famed CN Tower. Covering the north end of the facility, a separate room with a candlelit wall, cascading water columns and chandeliers, contains the 20-metre (64-foot) salt-water lap pool.

An independently operated spa, Miraj Hamman Spa by Caudalie, Paris, also located on the fifth floor, offers nine treatment suites including two couple suites and two Hammam rooms.

The hotel is part of a development that also incorporates residential living, the revitalized historic red-brick Bishop's Block, one of the oldest remaining buildings in Toronto, and a restaurant and bar by acclaimed New York chef David Chang.

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